Fan control device with multiprocessor

ABSTRACT

A fan control device for controlling a fan includes a communication-processing module, a fan-controlling module, and a detection module. The communication-processing module receives a fan-controlling instruction generated by an external system to generate a control signal, generates a detection signal according to a detection request of the external system, and provides state information for the external system. The fan-controlling module controls the speed of the fan according to the control signal and transmits a control result to the communication-processing module. The detection module detects the ambient state and the fan state of the fan according to the detection signal, and generates the state information according to the ambient information and the fan state. The communication-processing module, the fan-controlling module, and the detection module are physically separated from one another.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority of China Patent Application No.201410394680.X, filed on Aug. 12, 2014, the entirety of which isincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates generally to devices for controlling fans, andmore particularly to a device with a multiprocessor for controllingfans.

2. Description of the Related Art

In an electronic system, such as a computer system, a cooling fan playsa key role in maintaining the proper functioning of the electronicsystem. The system would be permanently damaged if the excess heat couldnot be removed. Due to the complexity of modern electronic systems,cooling fans must do more than just cool air: extra features includecontrolling the speed of the fan, monitoring pulses on a tachometer todetermine the instant speed of the fan, and detecting whether the fanbecomes disabled or the speed is slower than expected.

Most fans that have recently been released on the market are designed tohave a single control unit. There are two methods by which fans withsuch a motor design are controlled: one is with analog control signals,and the other is with digital control signals. The method that usesanalog control signals controls the speed of the motor by usingdifferent voltage signals. The main advantage of using analog controlsignals is that the control circuit of the system is simpler, but thestability of the speed and the resolution of speed control are muchworse than in the method that uses digital control signals.

The method that uses digital control signals controls the speed of themotor by communicating or adjusting the duty cycle of control signals.The main advantage of using digital control signals is its powerfulsubsidiary functions which are able to control or read more information.However, since the speed of communication has been rapidly improved witheach passing day and there are more desired functions, the control unitof the motor can be overloaded, and so the motor-control function islimited. Therefore, a motor-control architecture with high efficiency isurgently needed to achieve a high quality and high efficacy incontrolling a motor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the problems described above, the invention provides a fancontrol device with multiprocessor.

In an embodiment, a fan control device for controlling a fan comprises acommunication-processing module, a fan-controlling module, and adetection module. The communication-processing module receives afan-controlling instruction generated by an external system to generatea control signal, generates a detection signal according to a detectionrequest of the external system, and provides state information for theexternal system. The fan-controlling module controls the speed of thefan according to the control signal, and transmits a control result tothe communication-processing module. The detection module detects theambient state and the fan state of the fan according to the detectionsignal, and generates state information from the ambient state and thefan state. The communication-processing module, the fan-controllingmodule, and the detection module are physically separated from oneanother.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, the fan-controlling modulefurther comprises a speed-controlling unit and a start-controlling unit.The speed-controlling unit controls the speed of the fan according tothe control signal. The start-controlling unit controls the fan to startor stop according to the controlling signal. The speed-controlling unitand the start-controlling unit are physically separated from each other.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, any one of thecommunication-processing module, the speed-controlling unit, and thestart-controlling unit is individually packaged.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, the detection modulecomprises a temperature-detecting unit, a speed-detecting unit, acurrent-detecting unit, and a voltage-detecting unit. Thetemperature-detecting unit detects temperature information according tothe detection signal. The temperature information comprisesambient-temperature information and fan-temperature information. Thespeed-detecting unit detects speed information of the fan according tothe detection signal. The current-detecting unit detects currentinformation of the fan according to the detection signal. Thevoltage-detecting unit, detecting voltage information of the fanaccording to the detection signal. Each of the temperature-detectingunit, the speed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit comprises a sensor, and thecommunication-processing module, the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit are physically separated from one another.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, any one of thecommunication-processing module, the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit is individually packaged.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, the external system is ahuman-computer interface system, the human-computer interface systemgenerates the fan-controlling instruction according to an operationinstruction of a user, and the speed of the fan is controlled by thecontrol signal generated by the communication-processing module. Thehuman-computer interface system further generates the detection requestaccording to the operation instruction, requests the detection module todetect the ambient state and the fan state of the fan by thecommunication-processing module generating the detection signal, andthen the human-computer interface system displays the state informationtransmitted by the communication-processing module.

In an embodiment, a fan control device for controlling a fan comprises acommunication-processing module, a speed-controlling unit, astart-controlling unit, a temperature-detecting unit, a speed-detectingunit, a current-detecting unit, and a voltage-detecting unit. Thecommunication-processing module receives a fan-controlling instructiongenerated by an external system to generate a control signal, generatesa detection signal according to a detection request of the externalsystem, and provides state information for the external system. Thespeed-controlling unit controls the speed of the fan according to thecontrol signal, and transmits a control result to thecommunication-processing module. The start-controlling unit controls thefan to start or stop according to the control signal, and transmits astart/stop result to the communication-processing module. Thetemperature-detecting unit detects temperature information according tothe detection signal. The temperature information comprisesambient-temperature information and fan-temperature information. Thespeed-detecting unit detects speed information of the fan according tothe detection signal. The current-detecting unit detects currentinformation of the fan according to the detection signal. Thevoltage-detecting unit detects voltage information of the fan accordingto the detection signal. Each of the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit comprises a sensor, and thecommunication-processing module, the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit are physically separated from one another.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, any one of thecommunication-processing module, the speed-controlling unit, thestart-controlling unit, the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit is individually packaged.

In an embodiment of the fan control device, the external system is ahuman-computer interface system, the human-computer interface systemgenerates the fan-controlling instruction according to an operationinstruction of a user, and the speed of the fan is controlled by thecontrol signal generated by the communication-processing module. Thehuman-computer interface system further generates the detection requestaccording to the operation instruction, requests the detection module todetect the ambient state and the fan state of the fan by thecommunication-processing module generating the detection signal, andthen the human-computer interface system displays the state informationtransmitted by the communication-processing module.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequentdetailed description and examples with references made to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the fan control device in accordance withan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the fan-controlling module in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the detection module in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carryingout the invention. This description is made for the purpose ofillustrating the general principles of the invention and should not betaken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determinedby reference to the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the fan control device in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the fan controldevice 100 includes the communication-processing module 101, thefan-controlling module 102, and the detection module 103. Thecommunication-processing module 101 receives the fan-controllinginstruction S_(I) transmitted from the external system 10 to generatethe control signal S_(C). After receiving the control signal S_(C), thefan-controlling module 102 immediately notifies thecommunication-processing module 101 by the control result of the reportsignal S_(R) that the adjustment and the control have been successfullyaccomplished. According to an embodiment of the invention, thefan-controlling module 102 controls the speed, and starts or stops thefan 20 by the physical signal S_(P), and it will be described in detailby an embodiment in the following. According to an embodiment of theinvention, the physical signal S_(P) is a PWM control signal or acontrol voltage.

The communication-processing module 101 further generates the detectionsignal S_(D) according to the detection request of the fan-controllinginstruction S_(I) transmitted from the external system 10. When thedetection module 103 receives the detection signal S_(D), the sensor(not shown in FIG. 1) of the detection module 103 immediately receivesthe sensor signal S_(T) transmitted from the fan 20 to get the instantstate information of the fan 20, and the detection module 103 transmitsthe state information to the communication-processing module 101 by thestate signal S_(S). the external system 10 can display the stateinformation transmitted to the communication-processing module 101according to the request of an user. According to an embodiment of theinvention, the sensor signal S_(T) is one or any combination of avoltage signal, a current signal, a signal with a series of pulses, anda temperature signal.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the state informationincludes the fan state of the fan 20 and the ambient state at that time.The fan state of the fan 20 includes the information of the temperature,the speed, the voltage, the current, and so on of the fan 20. Theambient state includes the ambient temperature at that time. Accordingto an embodiment of the invention, the fan-controlling module 102 andthe detection module 103 are physically separated from each other, andthere is no data transmission therebetween. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the communication-processing module 101,the fan-controlling module 102, and the detection module 103 areindividually packaged.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the fan-controlling module in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, thefan-controlling module 102 includes the speed-controlling unit 201 andthe start-controlling unit 202. The speed-controlling unit 201 generatesthe fan-control signal S_(CF) according to the control signal S_(C), inorder to control the speed of the fan 20. When the speed-controllingunit 201 controls the speed of the fan 20, the speed-controlling unit201 immediately notifies the communication-processing module 101 by thereport signal S_(R) that the action of controlling has been successfullyaccomplished. According to an embodiment of the invention, thefan-control signal S_(CF) is a PWM signal or a voltage signal.

The start-controlling unit 202 generates the voltage signal S_(V)according to the control signal S_(C), in order to control the fan 20 tostart or stop. When the start-controlling unit 202 starts or stops thefan 20, the start-controlling unit 202 immediately notifies thecommunication-processing module 101 by the report signal S_(R) that theaction of starting or stopping has been successfully accomplished.According to an embodiment of the invention, the speed-controlling unit201 and the start-controlling unit 202 are physically separated fromeach other, and both are operated independently without communicationtherebetween. According to another embodiment of the invention, thespeed-controlling unit 201 and the start-controlling unit 202 arepackaged individually. According to an embodiment of the invention, thevoltage S_(V) is 0V or 5V when the operation voltage is 5V.

The functions of the speed-controlling and the start-controlling hereinare described for illustration. The fan-controlling module includes thefunctions of controlling a fan that are invented afterward and notintend to be limited thereto.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the detection module in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. The detection module 103 includes thetemperature-detecting unit 301, the speed-detecting unit 302, thecurrent-detecting unit 303, and the voltage-detecting unit 304, in whicheach of the temperature-detecting unit 301, the speed-detecting unit302, the current-detecting unit 303, and the voltage-detecting unit 304includes an individual sensor (not shown in FIG. 3) on the fan 20.

When the temperature-detecting unit 301 receives the detection signalS_(D) generated by the communication-processing module 101, thetemperature-detecting unit 301 receives the temperature detection signalS_(ST) generated by the sensor on the fan 20 according to the detectionsignal S_(D), in order to receive the temperature information. Accordingto an embodiment of the invention, the temperature information includesthe information of the ambient temperature and the temperature of thefan 20. When the speed-detecting unit 302 receives the detection signalS_(D), the speed-detecting unit 302 receives the serial-pulse signalS_(SP) generated by the sensor on the fan 20, in order to receive thespeed information of the fan 20. When the current-detecting unit 303receives the detection signal S_(D), the current-detecting unit 303receives the current-detecting signal S_(SI) generated by the sensor onthe fan 20, in order to receive the current information of the fan 20.When the voltage-detecting unit 304 receives the detection signal S_(D),the voltage-detecting unit receives the voltage-detecting signal S_(SV)generated by the sensor on the fan 20, in order to receive the voltageinformation.

By the state signal S_(S), the temperature-detecting unit 301, thespeed-detecting unit 302, the current-detecting unit 303, and thevoltage-detecting unit 304 respectively transmit the temperatureinformation, the speed information, the current information, and thevoltage information to the communication-processing module 101.According to an embodiment of the invention, the temperature-detectingunit 301, the speed-detecting unit 302, the current-detecting unit 303,and the voltage-detecting unit 304 are physically separated from oneanother. According to another embodiment of the invention, thetemperature-detecting unit 301, the speed-detecting unit 302, thecurrent-detecting unit 303, and the voltage-detecting unit 304 areindividually packaged.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the detection module of theinvention is not limited to detect temperature, speed, current, andvoltage, and the detected items should be added according to theapplication field of the fan control device. The invention should not betaken in a limiting sense.

For the sake of clearly explaining the usage of the fan control deviceof the invention, a cooling fan is illustrated as an example in thefollowing, and FIGS. 1-3 are referenced for further explanation. Inaddition, the cooling fan is illustrated as an embodiment of the fancontrol device, but not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, the external system 10 is a human-computerinterface system. When a user sets the temperature to be 30 degrees bythe human-computer interface system, the human-computer interface systemimmediately transmits the fan-controlling instruction S_(I) to thecommunication-processing module 101. When receiving the fan-controllinginstruction S_(I), the communication-processing module 101 requests, bythe detection signal S_(D), the temperature-detecting unit 301 toreceive the temperature detection signal S_(ST) for detecting theambient temperature and the temperature of the fan 20. After detection,the temperature-detecting unit 301 transmits the temperature informationof the temperature detection signal S_(ST) to thecommunication-processing module 101 by the state signal S_(S).

According to an embodiment of the invention, when thecommunication-processing module 101 receives the temperatureinformation, the communication-processing module 101 is aware of theambient temperature being 35 degrees to determine that the ambienttemperature is higher than that set by the user, such that the fan 20needs to be started for cooling. Therefore, the control signal S_(C) istransmitted to the start-controlling unit 202, and then the voltagesignal S_(V) is transmitted to start the fan 20. In addition, thespeed-controlling unit 201 is also controlled by the control signalS_(C) to generate the fan-control signal S_(CF) for adjusting the speedof the fan 20 to a proper speed. When the speed-controlling unit 201 andthe start-controlling unit 202 accomplish the controlling, thespeed-controlling unit 201 and the start-controlling unit 202 bothnotify, by the report signal S_(R), the communication-processing module101 that the controlling has been successfully accomplished.

According to an embodiment of the invention, when thecommunication-processing module 101 reports that the temperature of thefan 20 exceeds the safety range according to the temperature-detectingsignal S_(ST) received by the temperature-detecting unit 301, thecommunication-processing module 101 immediately transmits the controlsignal S_(C) to lower the speed of the fan by the fan-control signalS_(CF) generated by the speed-controlling unit 201, or to stop the fan20 by the voltage signal S_(V) generated by the start-controlling unit202 and to restart the fan 20 according to the temperature-detectingsignal S_(ST) received by the temperature-detecting unit 301 when thetemperature of the fan 20 is back to normal.

According to an embodiment of the invention, thecommunication-processing module 101 could instantly adjust the operationof the fan 20 by the physical signal S_(P) generated by thefan-controlling module 102 according to the ambient state and the fanstate of the fan 20 of the sensor signal S_(T) received by the detectionmodule 103. According to another embodiment of the invention, thecommunication-processing module 101 could request the detection module103 by the detection signal S_(D) to stop collecting the stateinformation (i.e., to stop receiving the sensor signal S_(T)) for thesake of reducing power consumption. According to yet another embodimentof the invention, the communication-processing module 101 could requestthe detection module 103 to collect the state information (i.e., toreceive the sensor signal S_(T)) in a predetermined time interval anddetermine whether the adjustment of the fan 20 is required.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the user could request thedetection module 103 to collect the state information (i.e., to receivethe sensor signal S_(T)) by the human-computer interface system (i.e.,the external system 10) and display the instant state information of thedetection signal S_(T) on the human-computer interface system (i.e., theexternal system 10) for the user's interpretation.

The invention provides a fan control device with multiprocessor, inwhich each function is processed by a single processing module with asingle function. According to an embodiment of the invention, theprocessing module with a single function is a circuit with a singlefunction or a microprocessor with a single function. Since a circuit ora processor with a single function is much easier to be designed, thecomplexity of the processing module is greatly reduced, such that theefficiency of designing and cooling of the processing module is thusimproved, and the overall cost is significantly reduced.

Regarding the conventional method of integrating all the functions ofcontrol, detection, and communication into a single processing module onthe market, since it is very complicated between various functions, alot of human resources and time are spent clarifying whether theunexpected effect could have occurred by the interactions betweenvarious functions. Otherwise, the processing module would beunexpectedly damaged. In addition, since all the functions areintegrated into a processing module, the heating power of the processingmodule should be raised accordingly. When there are more functions in aprocessing module, even an additional fan is required for cooling.

The invention dismantles all the control functions into an individualprocessing module (could be a circuit of a processor), thecommunication-processing module is in charge of the communication amongprocessing modules and the communication with the external system. Eachof the control unit and the detection unit are physically separated fromeach other. That is, each of the control unit and the detection unit isonly in charge of its own controlling or detecting task. If all thecontrol and detection functions are dismantled into an independent unit,the design complexity is significantly lowered and the design cost istherefore reduced. In addition, when a single processing module isdismantled into several processing modules, the heat dissipating area issignificantly enlarged, such that the cost of the heat dissipation isthus reduced and the overall cost of production is reduced as well.Accordingly, the production efficiency is improved.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms ofpreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto. Those who are skilled in this technology can still makevarious alterations and modifications without departing from the scopeand spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the presentinvention shall be defined and protected by the following claims andtheir equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fan control device for controlling a fancomprising: a communication-processing module, receiving afan-controlling instruction generated by an external system to generatea control signal, generating a detection signal according to a detectionrequest of the external system, and providing state information for theexternal system; a fan-controlling module, controlling a speed of thefan according to the control signal, and transmitting a control resultto the communication-processing module; and a detection module,detecting an ambient state and a fan state of the fan according to thedetection signal, and generating the state information according to theambient information and the fan state, wherein thecommunication-processing module, the fan-controlling module, and thedetection module are physically separated from one another.
 2. The fancontrol device of claim 1, wherein the fan-controlling module furthercomprises: a speed-controlling unit, controlling the speed of the fanaccording to the control signal; and a start-controlling unit,controlling the fan to start or stop according to the control signal,wherein the speed-controlling unit and the start-controlling unit arephysically separated from each other.
 3. The fan control device of claim2, wherein any one of the communication-processing module, thespeed-controlling unit, and the start-controlling unit is individuallypackaged.
 4. The fan control device of claim 1, wherein the detectionmodule comprises: a temperature-detecting unit, detecting temperatureinformation according to the detection signal, wherein the temperatureinformation comprises ambient-temperature information andfan-temperature information; a speed-detecting unit, detecting speedinformation of the fan according to the detection signal; acurrent-detecting unit, detecting current information of the fanaccording to the detection signal; and a voltage-detecting unit,detecting voltage information of the fan according to the detectionsignal, wherein each of the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit comprises a sensor, and thecommunication-processing module, the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit are physically separated from one another.
 5. Thefan control device of claim 4, wherein any one of thecommunication-processing module, the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit is individually packaged.
 6. The fan controldevice of claim 4, wherein the external system is a human-computerinterface system, the human-computer interface system generates thefan-controlling instruction according to an operation instruction of auser, and controls the speed of the fan by the control signal generatedby the communication-processing module, wherein the human-computerinterface system further generates the detection request according tothe operation instruction, requests the detection module to detect theambient state and the fan state of the fan by thecommunication-processing module generating the detection signal, andthen the human-computer interface system displays the state informationtransmitted by the communication-processing module.
 7. A fan controldevice for controlling a fan comprising: a communication-processingmodule, receiving a fan-controlling instruction generated by an externalsystem to generate a control signal, generating a detection signalaccording to a detection request of the external system, and providingstate information for the external system; a speed-controlling unit,controlling a speed of the fan according to the control signal, andtransmitting a control result to the communication-processing module; astart-controlling unit, controlling the fan to start or stop accordingto the control signal, and transmitting a start/stop result to thecommunication-processing module; a temperature-detecting unit, detectingtemperature information according to the detection signal, wherein thetemperature information comprises ambient-temperature information andfan-temperature information; a speed-detecting unit, detecting speedinformation of the fan according to the detection signal; acurrent-detecting unit, detecting current information of the fanaccording to the detection signal; and a voltage-detecting unit,detecting voltage information of the fan according to the detectionsignal, wherein each of the temperature-detecting unit, thespeed-detecting unit, the current-detecting unit, and thevoltage-detecting unit comprises a sensor, and thecommunication-processing module, the speed-controlling unit, thestart-controlling unit, temperature-detecting unit, the speed-detectingunit, the current-detecting unit, and the voltage-detecting unit arephysically separated from one another.
 8. The fan control device ofclaim 7, wherein any one of the communication-processing module, thespeed-controlling unit, the start-controlling unit, thetemperature-detecting unit, the speed-detecting unit, thecurrent-detecting unit, and the voltage-detecting unit is individuallypackaged.
 9. The fan control device of claim 7, wherein the externalsystem is a human-computer interface system, the human-computerinterface system generates the fan-controlling instruction according toan operation instruction of a user, and the speed of the fan iscontrolled by the control signal generated by thecommunication-processing module, wherein the human-computer interfacesystem further generates the detection request according to theoperation instruction, requests the detection module to detects theambient state and the fan state of the fan by thecommunication-processing module generating the detection signal, andthen the human-computer interface system displays the state informationtransmitted by the communication-processing module.